New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-29

moreover, had peculiar methods In dealing Win
: confscated estates 1t collected debts due the
estate to the utternost farthng. but IL never
Inundated the obligations Of It's prisoners men
to these results of the lnq1lstion IS aid 81 the con-
sidcration that universal treason aud perily were
slernly enjOined upon the faithful; thit inc
mother was required to dcnouncc the child ana the
child the mother; that the husband was required
TO accuse the wife, and The wife the husband; una
not to so accuse was to become pari"ker III con-
demnation, winch meant ruin death by torment;
it will be perceived that societies 50 donmited
must have experienced generally condt ions such
~ the p,,rase he'll upon earth" can alone do
justice to.
Necessarily the InquistIon bee imc cor
rnpt Money wonlI purchase immunity from
its dread ViStatIlnS. its iainiiIarS, a. u
rule the mos infamous ruiii ms OF their
place and 1me cnjovcd opportunities for the prac-
tIcc Of extoriion such have fallen to no set OF
scoundrcls before or since. and they did not let
their power ru,t by non-usase. They blackmaiied
rIrht an left. They commit'c ed outrages which
the We: ms dared not complain Of hey he'd the
lives and fortunes OF their fc.lowciizens a their
mercy: and they had ~ ir'ic mercy as conscience
Throngh the TnuuisItion h"rcsv was crushed for
time; but at what price! All Europe WA en-
saved save England. progress and civilization
were arrested a devils creed was substituted for
the Gospel 4 corrupt church va, lut'rrs-cd. human
couscienc, was chained. aud the but u instincts IN
men were powerfully reinforced. At the same
time the ahoninaDlc procedure of the lnqnl'iiIon
infected the jurisprudence Of Europe, ~ Mr. Lea
demonstrates with great c'rIrne'1 and force Ana
of all he curses ii brought III ITS tram th.7, ne
thinks. wa, perhaps the Gr'atest that. un'u The
closing yc,r, of he eighteenth century, thrpusI
out the greater part of EUROPE, tn ll1lI'ltoritl
process ~ Developed for the destruction "i her'Sv
became the customary method Of dealing WIN al
who were under accusation; that the accused was
r,a:cd ~ one having no rElts. whose GAM "''
assumed III advance aud from whom c"nlrN'.o On
wa, TO he cNjorird ~ guilc or force. Even wit
ncsscs were treated IA the same fashion;
and the prisoner who ac'sno ylrdted guilt
under tor;uro was tortured agun to obtain
information about any other cyll-f'efs
of whom ne p,rclIucr mi .ht have knp"l'it,
and he conclu.cs: 1T would b. lnpo'Thie to
compute The amount of mi cry AMI wrong luilic'rd
on the dcfcucrlcs, ~ to the present century,
which may be- directly traced 10 the arbitrary and
Unrestricted methods intro luc'd los III" InGn.7i"n
and adopted by the ilr,ts who fashioned th" cr"'-
mai jlr,psudcuc, IF .hc Continent. Il VA. sys-
TEN which might well seem tine invention "l
demons. and "a, h,y chnrIclcrz'd by Hr J'hA
Fortc>cuc a. the hoId to He'll
In these words ends the initial yoium' 81 a work
which must bee characterized as the first critical
and di,pI~si1natc history of ia" luquisi'ion Tat
has been written. Tier" 0, no reason 10 fear That
the succeeding volumes Will tall snort ot the
promise of the first one Mr.. Lca's experience, h.-
achnowlcd.cl eIudiiion. the maturity mike oil
his style AMI Ms judgment, Justify IL I'D "'''n-
inc this history - a great literary achievement
In II, fu,nc~- Its clrrfulucs. ITS freedom from soc
tarIau OF other prejudice. It's c.tudor. the -"btriY
of ITS conclusions. the elevation and lncIiiy ~
il, cxpr, ,-ion. the hrrldfn of ITS views and tine
penetration Of ITS analysis II deserves 10 bc con
sidcrcd an iiya .uabic gilt 10 letter, aud noble
mouum NJ % American ~rh'lar-hlp.